List Price: $499.00
Sale Price: $349.00
Today's Bonus: 30% Off
I purchased this product to replace an ADCOM GTP-500II/GFA-555 pre/amp combo. My housekeeper moved one of my B&W speakers and shorted one of the channels on the GFA-555. The repair would be over $300, so I decided to downsize a bit and go for a modern integrated amp.
First, the bad: I cannot understand why the gorgeous silver version of this unit is not available to US customers. It is a knockout! That being said, the stenciled markings on the faceplate are difficult to read on my black unit, and there is no LED indicator on the volume knob! Also, there is no way to select the inputs directly via the faceplate or the remote you need to press the input button on the remote or twist the input knob on the faceplate repeatedly until you get to the desired input.
Now, the good: The build quality is excellent. The aluminum faceplate and volume knob look great and feel good to the touch. The ergonomics are just about perfect, with the controls very easy to use. The amplifier section sounds crisp (almost thin), with plenty of top end sparkle. Bass is clean and driving at all volume levels. There is no compression as the volume knob is turned past the 12:00 o'clock position as I have heard in many (even high-end) receivers and integrated.
The built-in DAC is very good sounding and very convenient for connecting a TV and other digital sources. It is not warm by any extent, but neither is it harsh. Still, I preferred the sound of my Sony SACD player using the analog inputs over the amp's DAC. Sound is fantastic when connecting a PC's SPD/IF output to the amp's DAC. Definitely and improvement over using the sound card's analog outputs.
The only real disappointment is the phono stage. With my Luxman turntable and Audio Technica ML440 cart the sound is thin and the level is quite low. The dynamics that I once heard with my ADCOM pre's phono stage are gone. I can hear a lot more surface noise now. I will surely be investing in an outboard phono stage and bypassing the Onkyo's.
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